Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Many years ago a book came out called the Bell Curve that pissed a lot of people off. In it, the authors used meticulous research to show that depending on your race, your IQ may be lower than another's, regardless of social status. Blacks and Hispanics scored lowest, whites in the middle and Asians the highest. Is that really so surprising? Many called the book a racist bit of nonsense that echoed Hitler. It also was true.
Now let me make this clear before some of you out there start calling me names as well. I am not saying that any individual cannot be smart, regardless of race. Neil Degrasse Tyson is black and brilliant, as are many, many others who are black or Hispanic, and vice versa, there are some truly stupid white and Asians out there. What the study does show is that if you are black or Hispanic, you may have to try harder than your Asian or white counterparts. Now what the Bell Curve hypothesized was that these IQ numbers where completely biological in nature, thus the social status part. I would disagree with that as culture does play a part, especially when a lot of black culture today seems to focus on not being seen as white, or in this case "smart." When intelligence is linked to "acting white" you have a serious problem on your hands.

However, the biological nature cannot be totally ruled out, especially blacks who are descendants from slaves. Slaves were bred for being stronger and faster, not smarter. Thus, it stands to reason that their offspring would have the same traits and intelligence would not by one of the genetic markers. Again, this doesn't mean all descendants of slaves will be less intelligent, but a majority will be. That is how genetics work.
Recently, this has come up again after Harvard Professor Jason Richwine was fired for his paper on why Hispanics have lower IQ's than whites. Richwine had read Charles's Murray's The Bell Curve, which I hate to break it to everyone, is well researched and just comes up with a conclusion many wish wasn't true, and decided to see if anything had changed decades later. Turns out, he got the same facts. Just because you don't like the result doesn't mean you ignore them. That is what the Tea Party does.

Now many have criticized the work, which I admit I have not read (unlike the Bell Curve which I read in college), and they point out flaws in his linking various Hispanic groups, but depending on how these groups are linked, this may be nothing more than nitpcking to change the results. Many also did the same to the Bell Curve which was anything but flawed, except in the fact that they felt genetics was the whole shebang, something I disagreed then and now. But just because your theory is wrong, doesn't mean the facts of the case are as well.
Another study on IQ tests show that environmental factors play a huge role in IQ. Tests done on twins raised in different status levels show poor environments produce lower IQ rates than those raised in higher ones. But again, in a larger pool across all racial and economic factors, blacks and Hispanics test lower than whites and whites test lower than Asians. But I firmly believe that BOTH environment and genetics play a part in lower IQ rather than just one or the other. Let us look at the facts in this. Blacks and Hispanics are more likely than whites to be poor and whites are more likely to be poor than Asians. There are not a whole lot of projects populated by gangs of poor Asians out there.

The most disturbing thing about all this isn't the results but the facts that Harvard fired this guy over this. In the reasoning why they said in a letter that even if the results have merit, the conclusions are too disturbing to publish. So rather than seek an unpopular truth, Harvard would instead sweep such research under the table. That is how societies fail. Hundreds of students have signed a petition to bring him back, as they see progress more important than hurt feelings, signalling some small hope for mankind.

The fact that IQ tests for everyone in this world have dropped 14 points show the entire planet getting dumber. Just watch Fox News for ten minutes and try not to believe that fact. Intellect is being shunned by all races, especially the religious morons out there still desperately clinging to the idea of an Earth 6000 years old or one in which evolution doesn't exist. There is some low level IQ's.

Now the reason for this drop is simple: stupid people are having more children while the smarter or us, myself included, have decided against children. I have neither the money, nor the patience to deal with a toddler and bringing up any child in today's diseased world seems like a stretch. As long as this trend continues, IQ levels will continue to drop across all racial lines and a world right out of Idiosyncracy is possible where Tracy Morgan is President and Gatorade is used to water our lawns with predictably bad results.

To stop this slide the most important thing we can do is to learn everything we can. I know we are being worked to death and stress levels are off the chart but we have to do better. We have to BE better, regardless of race. I have met many people from the worst neighborhoods in CT who are far from stupid. They may not be book smart but I would also guess if I gave them an IQ test, they would perform very well. Just because you are poor and a minority doesn't mean you are NOT smart. It means you may have to work harder, and trust me, those that I know trying to escape the hood without being a statistic or dealing drugs to get ahead, are smarter than a lot of people I know rich, white and with a MBA. Race does not define you or how smart you are. How you use it does.